People from across the country arrive in Phu Tho on Friday, a day before the death anniversary of the Hung Kings.
An estimated seven million pilgrims will attend the festival this year, including 5.5 million who arrived before April 16 and 1.5 million on Saturday, according to the festival’s organizing committee.
Phung Quang Ngoc and family from Central Vietnam arrive in Phu Tho on Friday morning. The family’s been doing the pilgrimage for several years so they had prepared water food and a sedge mat ahead of the hard journey.
A young couple from Tuyen Quang mountainous province in the north rests after visiting the temples. “We will leave for home this afternoon as we are afraid we won’t be able to bear the crowd tomorrow,” the husband said.
People climb more than 500 steps from Nghia Linh mountain base to worship in the higher temples. The complex comprises of Hung King Mausoleum, temples of Ha (lower), Trung (middle), Thuong (upper) and Gieng (well). It is said that the eldest son of Lac Long Quan and Au Co founded Van Lang, the first name of Vietnam, and adopted Hung King as his name of a reign’s year. In the legend, Lac Long Quan and Au Co are said to give birth to Vietnamese people.
Pilgrims praying in Trung Temple. It is believed Hung Kings had breaks and discussed work matters with their officials there. It is also believed to be the place where prince Lang Lieu, the son of the sixth Hung King, offered square cake (Chung cake) and round sticky rice cake (Day cake) to the King. These are two famous traditional Vietnamese cakes.
People praying in Thuong Temple located on the top of Hung mountain. It is believed Hung Kings held ceremonies at the temple to worship the heaven, the land, the gods of mountain and rice.
Pilgrims looking at the back of the temple and praying; it is said to be the most holy place in the temple.
Hoang Thi Hanh, from Thai Binh northern province, is still happy after climbing more than 500 steps to Thuong Temple. “It is the third year I have visited Hung Temple. It is my honor to worship Hung Kings today,” she said.
It is believed Au Co used water from this well to bathe her children. In 2002, scientists discovered at the bottom of the well items dated several centuries ago, from Ly, Tran, Le and Nguyen dynasties.
It costs nearly $1 to hire a sedge mat for an hour. The death anniversary of the Hung Kings began with a worship ceremony held at 7 a.m. on Saturday. This year the same ceremony was held simultaneously at several locations nationwide where there are temples to honor Hung Kings and their officials. “This practice is new. It is expected that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will allow all the locations in the country to hold it from 2017, said Nguyen Thi Tuyet Chinh, Deputy Director of Phu Tho Information and Communications Department.
